FAQ

Q: How can I be added to the waitlist?

If you'd like a custom order, please note that there's a waitlist with a current estimated wait time of 4+ months. (Unfortunately I can only work on a limited number of orders at a time - the challenges of making handmade custom items and also still having a full-time job!) If you'd like to be added to the waitlist, just fill out the Custom Book Request Form, which goes straight to my email. Also feel free to message me on Facebook or Instagram with any questions.

Q: How exactly do custom orders usually work?

A: The first step is to join the waitlist and let me know how many books you'll want done so that I can reserve the proper number of waitlist slots for you. Once your turn on the waitlist is up, you'll confirm which book(s) you'd like rebound, tell me your selected design options and add-ons, and suggest any concepts you might like for cover design. Once we've settled on the specs, I'll give a final quote and we can proceed to payment. After payment, I'll start work on your rebinding order and will let you know once it's complete. The length of time required to complete a rebinding order varies and depends on the number of books in the order, the complexity of the designs, and my current workload. A binding of original content (e.g. a document that you send me to lay out and print in addition to binding) takes longer and depends on length.

Q: Can I get a quote for how much this will cost?

A: Pricing for a custom order depends on several options and factors (such as cover material, decorative elements and add-ons, price of the book copy if not mailing, etc), so please contact me if you'd like a quote. To give you an idea, a typical rebinding order for one book might range from about $70-$90. Pricing for a binding of original content costs more, since it involves printing and layout as well as binding, starting at a minimum of $100 and going upwards depending on options and page count.

Q: What are the options for a custom order?

A: Here are the current basic options for a custom order:

1. Cover material and color: Faux leather (black, brown, dark red, crimson red, dark green, royal blue) or bookcloth (black, red, green, or navy). Other colors can be ordered for an additional fee, and I can also make custom bookcloth from cotton cloth.
2. Color of the titles/design: Gold, silver, rose gold, copper/bronze, or plain white.
3. Cover design: If you’d like graphical elements in addition to the title/author, ideas or requests for the design are welcomed. Unless you have vector art skills or know someone who does, it's typically easiest to give me a general concept for what you'd like (e.g. "I'd like a fire-breathing dragon on the cover"), and then I'll run with it from there. More complex or detailed requests can impact pricing. I match customer design requests to the greatest extent possible, but do not offer mock-ups or an approval process on designs. Also note that if you'd like me to use graphical elements from another artist, you'll need to obtain permission from the artist first.
4. Optional add-ons: Decorative metal corners, a short quote on the back of the book, a ribbon bookmark (black, red, cream, or blue), colored or decorative endpapers, raised spine bands. Outside of these options, special requests can often be accommodated for an additional cost.

You can see the full options list with photo examples on the Custom Rebinding Options page. If you have an idea in mind that's not on this list, just ask!

Q: How much is shipping?

A: I offer free economy shipping for all book orders within the US via Media Mail. Shipping can be upgraded to expedited for an additional cost. I also ship internationally for an additional cost, just be aware that international shipping unfortunately gets a bit pricey - to the UK and Australia, for example, shipping costs range from $18-$30 USD depending on book weight.

Q: Can I mail my book to you to be rebound?

A: Absolutely! If you have a particular copy you'd like bound, I'm happy to do that. You pay for shipping the book to me (with Media Mail in the US it's usually only about $4), I receive it and put up a listing for your purchase, I rebind, and then it's free shipping back to you. Just make sure you talk it over and confirm with me before mailing anything out, of course. :)

Q: Can you rebind a hardcover instead of a paperback?

A: Of course! It'll just cost a bit more if I need to purchase the more-expensive hardcover version to rebind (not applicable if you're mailing the book to me). Hardcover versions do often use higher-quality paper and binding methods, so if that's something that's valuable to you, a rebinding of a hardcover is the best way to go.

Q: Can I get an entire series rebound?

A: Yes! However, note that to keep the waitlist fair and open, a person can only have 5 books done at a time. For subsequent books, they'd need to be placed back on the waitlist after completion of the initial five.

Q: Can you print and bind content that isn't printed yet? (E.g. a PDF, document, etc.)

A: Absolutely, but I can only do so for content that you have the rights to (or permission from the person who does hold the rights). When I'm rebinding paperbacks I'm just modifying an existing printed book that has been purchased, but if I was to print content that isn't mine and turn it into a physical book, I would be creating an unauthorized copy of the content and selling it for profit, so that gets into legal trouble.

Also note that costs will be higher here than a typical rebinding, due to the need for additional printing, layout, and binding work.

Q: Do you provide mockups of the cover design? Can I send you vector images to use?

A: While I do my best to match design requests and suggestions provided by customers, I do not currently offer mock-ups or any type of approval process on my designs. This allows me to move along with projects efficiently and keep my overall prices lower than they would be otherwise. The way that orders typically work is that customers give me concepts (e.g. "I want a dragon on the cover above the title, and a flowery border") and/or reference images, and I build the design from there.

However, if you'd like more precise control over the cover design, you can definitely send me specific vector images that you have the rights to use! If you have graphic design skills or know someone who does, I can use vector files provided by you for the design, as long as you either created the images yourself or have permission to use them (this could be direct permission from the artist, purchasing a license for a vector image on an image-sharing site, etc). I've also had customers who have worked with a dedicated graphic design artist to create a vector image exactly to their specifications, and then sent it to me to foil onto the book. Just note that vector images are ultimately applied from single-color foil, so they need to look good in one color and cannot have extremely thin lines or tiny dots. I'm happy to look over artwork to make sure it'll work well!

Q: Do you bind fanfic?

A: Fanfic bookbinding is a tricky gray area, and many people have different opinions on it. I am of the opinion that payment for the work of *binding* should be kept distinct from payment for the work itself, but I also understand arguments about copyright intricacies and the idea that it's better to keep it a "gift economy" since the fanfic was written for free. Many fic authors only give permission for fic binding if the binder is not paid for their work (if they only charge materials and shipping), and working for free is not something I'm interested in doing. Overall, due to the complexity and controversy of the issue among fanfic authors and IP owners, I've decided not to offer fanfic bindings going forward. Sorry about that!

If you are looking for fanfic bookbinding, you might consider checking out the members of Renegade Publishing, some of whom appear to do commissions.